Method and apparatus for charging a coke oven



June 2,A 1970 G. R. GAIN 3,515,293

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A COKE OVEN Filed Jan. 13, 1969 United safes Patent o U.S. Cl. 214-23 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A horizontal coke oven is charged with coal through spaced charging holes in the coke oven roof to provide peaked piles of coal within the coke oven. A leveling bar is inserted through an opening in the side wall on the pusher side of the coke oven and is rnoved reciprocally across the peaked coal piles to level the piles. The leveling bar has a vibrator secured thereto adjacent the front end that imparts a controlled vibration to the leveling bar. The vibrating leveling bar compacts the coal at the coal line and provides a coal charge having an increased bulk density adjacent the top surface. Suitable means are provided to vary the frequency of the vibrator and control the degree of compaction of the coal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a method and apparatus for charging a coke oven and more particularly to a method and apparatus for increasing the bulk density of the coal charge adjacent the top surface.

Description of the prior art In high chambered coke ovens there have been problems in the past of the coke oven roof above the coke ovens overheating during the coking cycle. To overcome this problem the coke ovens are now constructed with a flared top portion in which there is positioned a larger volume of coal as compared with the volume of coal below the flared portion. The flared top portion of the coke oven provides a larger amount of coal that is carbonized per unit of time and the larger amount of coal as compared with the amount of coal in the lower unflared portion of the oven absorbs the heat and thus prevents the overheating of the coke oven roof.

To provide a flared roof for the coke ovens requires a substantial number of different bricks, shapes and contributes substantially to coke oven battery fabrication and erection. Also, the ared roof portion requires coke oven doors and door liners of substantial width.

Since the leveling operation is non-productive and time consuming when related to the overall coking operation, the reduction in the number of passes required by the leveling bar would, in turn, reduce the total time required for the coking operation.

In high chambered coke ovens, problems are encountered in obtaining a uniform product. It is believed that one of the contributing factors to the absence of uniformity in the coke product is the density prole of the coal charge in the coke oven. It has been found, as discussed in a paper by K. G. Beck et a1. before the Division of Fuel Chemistry of the American Chemical Society in September, 1964, that the bulk density adjacent the coal line is greater at the coke side of the oven when compared with the bulk density of the coal at the pusher side. The problem of a varying bulk density profile along the length of the coke oven, especially the increased `bulk density at the coke oven side, is attributed to the sagging of the leveler bar as it is extended through the coke oven to a location adjacent the coke side of the oven.

3,515,293 Patented June 2, 1970 The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for charging a coke oven wherein the need for a ared top portion in each coke oven is eliminated and it is now possible with the present invention to obtain a uniform bulk density adjacent the upper portion of the coal charge throughout the length of the coke oven. With the hereinafter described invention, it is now possible to reduce the number of times the leveler bar is passed over the coal charge from the conventional six or seven passes to one or two passes.

The leveling bar of the present invention has a vibrator secured thereto adjacent the front end portion. The vibrator imparts vertical vibratory forces to the leveling bar which are transmitted to the coal adjacent the coal line to compact the coal adjacent the coal line and increase the bulk density of the coal charge adjacent the top portion of the charge. Means are provided to vary the frequency of the vibrations as the leveler bar is moved receiprocally in the coke oven to thereby control the bulk density of the coke oven charge adjacent the top portion so that the coal charge has a uniform bulk density throughout its length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a coke oven battery in section through a coke oven illustrating the leveling bar and the pusher machine.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the leveling bar front end portion.

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation and partially in section of the leveling bar illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation taken along the lines IV IV of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated in section, a coke oven battery generally designated by the numeral 10 that has a pusher side 12, coke side 14 and a roof 16. The sectional view of FIG. 1 is taken through a coke oven 18 that has recently been charged with coal 20 through the vertical `charging holes 22, 24 and 26 that have openings in the roof 16 and extend downwardly into the coking chambers and spaced longitudinally along the coke oven 18. Coke oven doors 28 and 30 close the ends of the coke oven to retain the coal charge therein.

The coal is supplied to each of the coke ovens from a charging larry on the coke oven roof 16 that has separate hoppers containing measured amount of coal. The charging larry is positioned above the charging holes 22, 24 and 26 and-coal is discharged from the hoppers into the oven and forms peaked piles similar to the peaked piles 32 illustrated in FIG. 1. Between the coke oven door 28 on the pusher side of the coke oven and the roof pad, there is a leveler bar opening 34 for a leveling -bar generally designated by the numeral 36. The leveling bar 36 is arranged to be inserted into the coke oven 1-8 through the opening 34 and is moved reciprocally therein to level the piles of coal and provide an upper level surface 40 at the coal line of the oven. After the coal is leveled by the reciprocal movement of the leveling bar 36, the leveling bar 36 is removed and a leveling door is positioned in the opening 34 and the coking operation is initiated. Suitable caps or covers 42 close the charging holes 22, 24 and 26.

The leveling bar 36 is carried by a pusher machine generally designated by the numeral 44 that is mounted on rails 46 and moves longitudinally along the pusher side of the coke oven battery 10. The pusher machine 44 carries suitable apparatus for removing the coke oven door 28 and for supporting and moving the leveling bar 36 and the pusher ram 48. The pusher ram 48 has a ram head 50 with an arm 52 extending horizontally therefrom. The ram head 50 is arranged to push the coke out of the oven after the coal has been carbonized. The incandescent coke is discharged from the coke side of the oven into a suitable receiver positioned adjacent thereto.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the leveling bar 36 has a front end portion generally designated by the numeral 54 and a pair of vertical girderlike side members 56 and 58. The side members 56 and 58 extend longitudinally throughout the length of the leveling bar 36 and have transverse connecting members 60 that are secured to the vertical web portions of the side members and maintain the side members 56 and 58 in spaced parallel relation to each other. The web portions of the side members 56 and 58 have spaced apertures 62 therein to provide a lighter bar member 36 that does not have a pronounced tendency to sag when it is fully extended into the coke oven and the front end portion 54 is adjacent the coke side 14. An angular member 64 is secured to the front ends of the side members 56 and 58 by means of welds 66 to form the pointed front end 54. Secured to the lower portion of the angular member 64 and the lower front portions of the side members 56 and 58 is a base member 68 which slides on the upper surface of the coal 20.

A plate member 70 is secured to the lower inner edge portions of the side members 56 and 58 and forms a platform for a vibrator 72 that is secured to the plates suitably bolted by bolts 74 to the plate 70 so that vertical vibration from the yvibrator 72 is transmitted to plate 70 and from plate 70 to leveling bar 36.

The vibrator may be any suitable vibrating device that will transmit vibratory forces, preferably linear vibratory forces, to the leveler bar 36. An air vibrator, for example, a BH3 Short Navco Aid Vibrator manufactured by the Navco Corporation and described in Navco Bulletin entitled BH Vibrators has been found suitable. This air vibrator requires 2l s.c.f.m. of air at 50 p.s.i.g.

The vibrator has an air inlet 76 to which is connected a metal conduit or pipe 78. The pipe 78 extends rearwardly from the vibrator 72 to a location on the leveler bar 36 that does not enter the coke oven 18. The end of the pipe 78 is connected to a rearwardly extending exible air hose 80 that is mounted on a reel 82 on the pusher Imachine 44. The air hose 80 is connected at the other end to an air compressor 84 that has a suitable control valve 86 associated therewith and diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1. The control valve 86 is arranged to control the volume input of air to the vibrator 72 and thus control the frequency of the vertical vibrations imparted by the vibrator 72.

The pipe 78 is mounted adjacent the bottom of the leveler bar 36 and extends longitudinally between the side portions 56 and 58 so that the pipe 78 is shielded from the elevated temperatures of the coke oven walls and during the reciprocal movement of the leveling bar 36 the pipe 78 will be buried in the relatively cool coal during the leveling operation so that the cool coal assists in maintaining the air cool and providing a cool air suply to the vibrator 72.

The vibrator '72 is also partially shielded from direct exposure to the hot walls of the coke oven by the side members 56 and 58 of the leveler 36 and will also be cooled by the throughput of the relatively cool air supplied through the pipe 78. The vibrator 72 has a pair of exhaust ports 88 and 90 through which the exhaust air is vented to also assist in cooling the vibrator 72.

With the above described leveler bar 36, the coal Within the coke oven 18 is leveled in the following manner. After the coal has been charged into the coke oven through the charging holes 22, 24 and 26 so that peaks similar to peak 32 are present beneath the charging holes, the leveler bar 36 is inserted through the opening 34 in the pusher side 12 of coke oven battery 10. The compressor 84 is energized and the valve 86 is opened to permit air to How through the flexible hose and pipe 78 to the vibrator 72 at a rate of about 21 s.c.f.m. at about 50 p.s.i.g. The leveling bar 36 is then continuously moved into the coke oven 18 and the vertical vibrations imparted by vibrator 72 are transmitted to the front portion of the leveling bar 36 so that the peaks 32 are leveled and the upper surface 0f the coal charge is compacted by the vibrations. Thebar 36 is advanced into the coke oven until the front edge 54 is adjacent the coke oven wall 14.

The apparatus within the pusher machine 34 that has advanced the leveling bar 36 is now reversed and the leveling bar 36 is moved rearwardly until the front end 54 is adjacent the pusher side 12. As the leveling bar 36 is advanced and retracted into and out of the coke oven, air drawn under pressure is supplied to the vibrator 72 so that the front portion of the leveling bar is continually vibrating while it is performing the leveling operation. It has been found that about two passes of the leveler bar 36 is suicient to level the coal 20` at the coal line and to increase the bulk density of the coal for a distance of between about nine and fifteen inches beneath the upper coal level from about 50 pounds per cubic foot to about 52.5 pounds per cubic foot. With the above described apparatus the duration of the leveling operation is approximately one minute and because of the relatively short period that the vibrator 72 is in the coke oven, the vibrator 72 is not damaged by the elevated temperatures of the oven.

Where it is found that excessive compaction occurs adjacent to the coke oven wall because the leveling bar sags in its extended position, the control valve 86 may be actuated to progressively reduce the volume of air supplied to the vibrator 72 and thus reduce the frequency of the vibrator so that compaction of the coal 20 by the vibrator 72 is reduced and a uniform bulk density is obtained along the length of the coke oven 18 at the upper level of the coal charge.

According to the provisions of the patent statues, the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of this invention have been illustrated and described with what is now considered to represent its best embodiment.

I claim:

1. A method for charging a coke oven with coal comprising,

charging predetermined amounts of coal into the coke oven through openings in the roof of the coke oven battery so that the coal within the coke oven has a plurality of peaks equal to the number of openings into the coke oven through the coke oven battery roof,

inserting a leveling bar into the coke oven adjacent the coke oven roof portion,

reciprocating said leveling bar in said coke oven through said peaks of coal to level said peaks and form a coal charge in said coke oven having a relatively level upper surface, imparting vibrations of a preselected frequency to the front end of said leveling bar during reciprocation of said leveling bar within said coke oven to thereby compact the upper portion of said coal charge, and

controlling the frequency of the vibrations imparted to said leveling bar during reciprocation thereof to control the compaction of the upper surface of said coal charge and thereby provide a uniform bulk density for said coal charge adjacent said coal charge upper surface.

2. Apparatus for charging a coke oven comprising,

an elongated leveling bar for leveling the peaks of coal formed in a coke oven during charging,

said leveling bar having a body portion with a front end portion and said portions,

an air actuated vibrator secured to said leveling bar adjacent said front end portion, said air actuated vibrator operable to vibrate said leveling bar front end portion in a vertical plane at a predetermined frequency and thereby compact the upper surface of the coal during the leveling operation, and control means to control said air actuated vibrator, said control means positioned externally of said coke oven. 3. Apparatus for charging a coke oven as set forth in claim 2 in which,

said control means includes means to vary the frequency of said vibrating means to thereby control the bulk density of the coal charge adjacent the upper surfaee throughout the length of the coke oven. 4. Apparatus for charging a coke oven as set forth in claim 2 inffivhich,

said leveling bar side portions include a pair of side members positioned in spaced parallel relation to each fther, said vibrating means positioned between said side members so that said vibrating means is insulated from the elevated temperatures of the coke oven walls during the leveling operation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,979,419 11/1934 Still 214--23 2,676,915 4/ 1954 Dupre 202-262 10 FOREIGN PATENTS 129,632. 12/ 1959 Russia.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner 15 U.S. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CGRRECTION Patent'. No. 3 51 5 293 Dated June 2 1970 Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as show-n below:

In Claim Z, line 71, the word "said" should read -sde.

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